NFL DRAFT COVERAGE including the Packers' picks, a gallery of top prospects, mock drafts and more.">
NFL DRAFT COVERAGE including the Packers' picks, a gallery of top prospects, mock drafts and more.">

NFL DRAFT COVERAGE including the Packers' picks, a gallery of top prospects, mock drafts and more.

Green Bay — Quietly, the Packers bought themselves another year with B.J. Raji. Free agency was not kind to the former ninth-overall pick, so he returns with a lot to prove and millions of dollars on the line.

In 2013, Raji finished with a career-low 17 tackles. He has zero sacks in his last 41 games. Part of it might be his role. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers probably makes some changes for 2014. Either way, Green Bay needs more out of the first defensive player it took with this defensive staff.

The team has an emerging star in Mike Daniels and multiple hybrid threats. Mike Neal could rush inside. Julius Peppers likely starts at outside linebacker with the potential to slide inside. But any defense — 3-4, 4-3, etc. — needs an XXL-sized defensive lineman clogging blockers.

In the NFL draft, Notre Dame's Louis Nix is one option. Otherwise, this year's group of defensive tackles is full of athletic, disruptive penetrators, and the Packers already have a decent young crop of those.

Raji returns on a one-year deal. C.J. Wilson is off to Oakland. Ryan Pickett (34 years old) and Johnny Jolly (neck injury) remain unsigned. Another 300-plus pounder could be on the way.

1. AARON DONALD, PITTSBURGH

6 foot 1, 285 pounds, 4.68 in 40-yard dash

Lowdown: A human wrecking ball for stretches, Donald totaled 281/2 tackles for a loss last season. His stock continued to rise through a dominant Senior Bowl week where Donald made tackles look foolish in one-on-one drills and into the NFL combine, where Donald benched 225 pounds 35 times. Last season, Donald also forced four fumbles, blocked an extra point and batted down three passes. He plays much like the Packers' third-year tackle Daniels or Cincinnati's Geno Atkins at the three-technique. If Jadeveon Clowney weren't in this draft, Donald might be garnering much more attention. There's no on/off switch here, either. Took over games (New Mexico, Georiga Tech). The question here is height. He's very short on the D-line and didn't need to two-gap much in college.

Projection: First round.

2. RA'SHEDE HAGEMAN, MINNESOTA

6-6, 310, 5.02

Lowdown: The former tight end has a strong basketball background. Hageman played AAU ball and averaged nearly 12 points per game as a junior. This athleticism is evident on the field, where Hageman had 13 pass breakups and eight batted balls last season. Hageman admitted he does tend to "overthink," and is "always freezing up." He's a raw, developing defensive tackle with major upside. Benched 32 reps with a 35½-inch vertical. Still, there were inconsistencies with his game. Hageman wasn't a technician rushing inside like Timmy Jernigan and Donald.

Projection: First round.

3. TIMMY JERNIGAN,

FLORIDA STATE

6-2, 299, 5.06

Lowdown: Starting 14 games at nose tackle, Jernigan finished with 63 tackles (11 for loss) and 41/2 sacks last season. He is one of rare defensive tackles in draft who shot gaps and clogged space last season. Battling a fever in the national title game, Jernigan had nine tackles (five solo) against Auburn's offensive juggernaut. A smart, disruptive penetrator, Jernigan could improve his core strength, and some wonder if he's a long-term, every-down player.

Projection: First round.

4. LOUIS NIX III, NOTRE DAME

6-2, 331, 5.42

Lowdown: Wide bodies are not in high supply this year. In that sense, Nix is a rarity. Routinely consuming multiple blockers, Nix has the potential to anchor a 3-4 defense. Offenses have no choice but to double-team him. Nix's weight has ballooned in the past, but he says he has lost 20-25 pounds, joking, "My stomach doesn't stick out as much. That's kind of nice. I like that part. My thighs got a little smaller. I just feel sexier, man." Nix does have a infectious personality and could bring strong leadership traits, but he also had surgery in November to repair a torn meniscus and was better in 2012 than 2013. A Vince Wilfork ceiling will appeal to teams.

Projection: Second round.

5. WILL SUTTON, ARIZONA STATE

6-0, 303, 5.36

Lowdown: Sutton's father, Mickey, played for the Packers in 1989. And at the combine, Sutton said the Packers had expressed interest. He's the rare draft prospect who admitted his motor wasn't running as high as it should have. In 2012, Sutton had 13 sacks and 231/2 tackles for loss. In 2013, he managed only four and 131/2. Sutton lost some of his explosiveness when he added weight. In the pros, he could excel as a situational rusher. Sutton plans to get his weight into the 290s.

Projection: Second round.

6. DOMINIQUE EASLEY, FLORIDA

6-2, 288, no time

Lowdown: Three games into the 2013 season, Easley tore his right ACL. In 2011, he tore the ACL in his left knee. Considering explosiveness is Easley's game inside — not size or strength — he needed a strong pro day. Reports were positive. Saying the knee was 80-85% healed, Easley impressed scouts with his change of direction. Fully healthy, he'd be a first-round prospect. Starting 11 games at defensive end in 2012, Easley had 26 tackles (81/2 for loss) with four sacks. On the surgeries, Easley said, "It's going to make me nothing but faster....It's frustrating, but everything happens for a reason." He's undersized, and the knee injuries will give teams pause, but as a mid-round pick Easley could be a steal.

Projection: Third round.

7. EGO FERGUSON, LSU

6-3, 315, no time

Lowdown: The massive Ferguson moves laterally very well. He added 40 pounds of good weight in college to play on LSU's star-studded defensive line. One-on-one, Ferguson has the strength to toss aside blockers and get to the quarterback as he (painfully) did to TCU's Trevone Boykin and others. Finished with 58 tackles (31/2 for loss) in his lone season as a starter. Considering his size and talent, Ferguson probably could have been more disruptive. He remains raw.

Projection: Third round.

8. CARAUN REID, PRINCETON

6-2, 302, 4.91

Lowdown: In 10 starts last year, Reid recorded 26 tackles (11 for loss) with 61/2 sacks. He's a gap-shooting, feisty interior rusher who lived off inside and outside counter moves. Only the second-ever Princeton player invited to the Senior Bowl, Reid held his own. Said Reid, "It was a great confidence builder for me as an athlete, coming from a smaller school going against the higher level competition." Quick, agile, Reid has five- and three-technique potential. He also blocked seven kicks.

Projection: Fourth round.

9. KELCY QUARLES,

SOUTH CAROLINA

6-4, 297, 5.03

Lowdown: With so much attention shading Jadeveon Clowney's way, Quarles broke out in 2013 with 39 tackles (131/2 for loss) and 91/2 sacks in 12 games. At the combine, he said the Clowney connection does bother him, adding, "I feel like I was in the weight room working hard at 6 o'clock in the morning. I was out there at two-a-days running hoops, so I could get to the quarterback." He does play with burst and closing speed to the QB, but there's no denying many plays tilted his way because of the potential No. 1 pick.

Projection: Fourth round.

10. DAQUAN JONES, PENN STATE

6-4, 322, 5.35

Lowdown: Jones finished 2013 with 48 tackles and three sacks. His weight fluctuated through college. Jones can cave the pocket — a load to block inside — but he doesn't have the suddenness of Reid and Easley.